Whiskey Sour Cocktail

“We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good.” Horace Hutchinson (English golfer, sportsman and writer, 1859-1932)

An Old time favorite with a twist.

A lot of you aren’t old enough to remember when whiskey sours or any sour drinks were all the rage. A bottle of sour mix, or in retrospect, the even worse premeasured packets of sour mix, some whiskey or southern comfort, a little ice and you had an instant party drink. Oh, and you couldn’t forget the maraschino cherry garnish.

In Scotland, whiskey shops are everywhere. After a little research, I learned that whiskey or whisky is gaelic for “usquebaugh,” meaning “Water of Life.” The word was shortened to “usque’ and subsequently “whisky.”
Historical evidence finds that whiskey dates back to the 15th century in Scotland and Ireland. Originally, this drink was used for medicinal purposes. A whiskey sour recipe can be found in a Bartender’s Guide from 1862.
So, in my pledge to only eat or drink local foods and beverages, I ordered a Whiskey Sour Cocktail. What a pleasant surprise and a torrent of old memories.

To begin, gather your ingredients.

Prepare some simple syrup earlier in the day. This is a combination of equal parts sugar and water boiled in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Cool the syrup completely. I used one cup of water and one cup of sugar. This was more than enough for 6 drinks. The remainder can be refrigerated.
For each drink, squeeze one large lemon and slice one for the garnish.

In a cocktail shaker put two shots (2 oz.) of whiskey, one shot(1 oz.) of simple syrup and one shot of fresh lemon juice. Add ice and shake.
In a tall glass with ice, add the contents of the cocktail shaker. This will fill the glass about two-thirds of the way. Top off the glass with club soda. Garnish with fresh lemons or limes and a sprig of mint.

With the addition of the club soda, you have a great summertime cocktail.Some twists on this drink:
I tried two different whiskeys when testing this recipe. The first was Seagram’s Seven Crown. This whiskey made a nice rather mild flavored whiskey sour.
The second whiskey I tried was Evan Williams Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. This whiskey was more flavorful and more like the drink I had in Scotland.
Finally, some whiskey sour recipes call for the addition of egg white. Instead of using raw egg, I added ½ teaspoon of powder egg whites to the cocktail shaker. This adds froth to the top of the drink and tends to mellow out all the flavors. The more you shake it the more froth you create. My daughter liked this version.

I hope this post will inspire you to try this cocktail and experiment with different whiskeys. As the Scottish say, “Bain sult.” Enjoy!!

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare some simple syrup earlier in the day. This is a combination of equal parts sugar and water boiled in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Cool the syrup completely. I used one cup of water and one cup of sugar. This was more than enough for 6 drinks. The remainder can be refrigerated.

Squeeze one large lemon.

In a cocktail shaker put two shots (2 oz.) of whiskey, one shot(1 oz.) of simple syrup and one shot of fresh lemon juice. Add ice and shake.

In a tall glass with ice, add the contents of the cocktail shaker. This will fill the glass about two-thirds of the way. Top off the glass with club soda. Garnish with fresh lemons or limes and a sprig of mint.